Sprinkler-head.



H. H. BUFFUM.

SPRINKLER HEAD.

APPLQCATION FILED ma. I. new.

Patented July 30, 1918 I nveiai or: Herbert H Bufl'um,

f W Matti/IS.

HERBERT H. BUFFUM, OF LACONIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

SPRINKLER-HEAD.

Specification of Letters Patent. 1 Patented July 30, 1918.

Application filed February 1, 1818. Serial No. 214,818.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hunnun'r H. BFFFUH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Laconia, in the county of Belknap, State of New Ham shire, have invented an Improvement in prinkler-Heads, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification. like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to sprinkler heads such, for example, as are used in automatic fire extinguishing systems and the object is to provide a device of cheap and simple construction and one which may readily be assembled.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the following description of the illustrative embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a Side elevation of a sprinkler head with part cut away; and

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof as seen from the left of Fig. 1.

I have herein disclosed my invention (Fig. 1) as applied to a sprinkler head of that type wherein a valve 3 is held over the outlet of a fitting -5 by means of a strut, herein denoted g; aerally by the numeral 7. interposed between the valve and an opposed abutment 9. The abutment may, as in the present instance, be formed as a part of a resilient yoke 11 (see Fig. 2).

While the strut may take various forms, I have here illustrated one which comprises two belLcr-ank levers which have the sub stantially counterpart arms 13 and 15 respectively, pivotally engaging abutment and valve respectively and (herein throu 11 mediate means presently to be describe having a pivotal engagement with each other. The point of bearing between the two arms is out of the line of stress between the two points of bearing on valve and abutment and thus the two arms are each adaptedto serve as a brace between the parts, disposed obliquely to the line of stress between them. In other words, in the form shown the arms cooperatively form a toggle partially broken and the pressure thereon of the valve and abutment tends further to break the toggle. To maintaiuthc toggle against any water pressure that, may be behind thevalve and against the spring pressure of the yoke 11,

the levers have other arms 17 and 19 extend ing laterally therefrom, which may be connected by a thermally releasable device 21 normally holding the two arms 13 and 15 in the postions shown and thus maintaining the valve. The device 21 may be and preferably is. as here illustrated, of the form shown in my Patent No. 1.255.111. embodying a set of plates normally held together by readily fusiblealloy to provide a tension link. The parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 1 and preferably the proportion is such that the resilient yoke 11 is somewhat sprung. The point of bearing between the two arms 13 and 15 is at one side of the line of stress extending between the points of bearing of those arms on valve and abut ment and thus the resilient pressure of the yoke 11 and any water pressure that may be behind the valve 3 tends to break the toggle joint formed by these arms. This tendency is resisted by the device 21 but when on an undue rise of temperature the device is released, the two arms will rock on each other and on the valve and abutment and the strut will be dismembered and withdrawn from between the valve and abutment, therebv releasing water through the former.

The structures as so far described, including the particular exemplary form of strut. are not novel to this'application. My invention more particularly contemplates the provision of means for tcnsioning the strut between the valve 3 and the'abutment 9.

thereby firmly to hold the former on its seat and to apply suitable tension to the resilient yokell whereby it will act to dismember the strut when the device 21 is r eased."

In the embodiment of the mve tion here illustrated I provide for a proper tensioning of the strut member 7 by means of a key 23 which isjlcre shown as interposed between the'twxi bell crank lever members. Referring to Fig. 2, the key may consist of a thin It will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 2 that if the member 23 is moved to the left, viewing that figure, the sloping surface 27 will wedge the two arms 13 and 15 apart and press apart the valve 3 and abutment 9. Conveniently the key is made of considerable length and when the parts are assembled it may be pressed along in the grooves in the two opposed faces of the lever members until suitable tension. is attained and any projecting ortions thereof can be trimmed off to rovi e a structure appearing substantially li e that shown in Fig. 2.

Prior to my present invention it has been customary to provide sprinkler heads of this type with a screw passing through the abutanent 9 which was set up to provide suitable tension upon the strut, such for example as the type of strut here shown. My present iIlVGIltlOIl does awa with this screw, cheapenin the cost of t e sprinkler and considems y diminishing the number of o erations necessary to the assembling of t e same. Furthermore, the upper portion of the yoke '11 which provides the abutment need not be "enla'r ed to permit the passage of the screw and t us the distributer 29 is not masked in any way; This distributer 29 may be applied as shown by barring over a portion of the yoke thereon.

Having thus described in detail my invention as applied to the particular type of strutchosen for illustration in the drawings as an example, what I claim as new and desire to Secure by Letters Patent is 1. A sprinkler head comprising a valve, an opposed resiliently yieldable abutment, aninterposed strut comprising a pair of tog? .gle members having extending arms, a thermally releasable connection between said arms and a key between said members having pivotal engagement with one ,and wedging engagement with the other.

2. A; sprinkler head having a valve retainin strut comprising two members arran for relative pivoting on the release :of t e head and means to tension the strut comprising a key interposed between said members having pivotal engagement with one and w ing enga ement withthe other.

3. A spr" or head aving a valve retainuo ing strut comprising a member normally held in retaining position by a thermally releasable retaining device and arranged to rock free on release thereof and a strut ten- 4. In asprinkler head of the type wherein a strut is interposed between a valve and an abutment, a member having an arm disposed obliquely to the line of stress between valve and abutment and located as a brace to retain the valve and another arm extending angularly from the first, a thermally releasable device engaging said other arm for holding said member and a wedge for tensioni the brace.

5. sprinkler head comprising a valve, an opposed abutment and an interposed strut comprising toggle levers, fusible means resisting movement of the toggle and a wedge engaging one of the levers to apply endwise tension to the toggle.

6. A sprinkler head comprising a valve, an opposed abutment and an interposed strut including a brace disposed obliquely to the line of stress between valve and abutment, thermally releasable positioning means therefor and means to tension-the brace between the valve and abutment, which means provides a pivotal bearing for the brace and includes two parts having cooperating oppo sitely sloping surfaces.

7. A sprinkler head comprising a valve, an opposed abutment, and a multipartite interposed strut having a bearing between two parts thereof out of the line of stress between said valve and abutment and ther mally releasable means for holding the parts from dismemberment, two parts of said strut having cooperating, transverse, oppositely sloping surfaces. 

